Website launches campaign to stop legalization of abortion in Portugual

Madrid, Spain, Feb 26, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The Spanish website HazteOir.org ("Make your voice heard") has launched a massive email campaign to prevent the legalization of abortion in Portugal, which will be debated in the country's legislature March 3.The campaign began with an email to eight thousand activists asking them to send a letter to Portuguese legislators encouraging them to reconsider their position and to reject the legalization of abortion. The petition has beensent as well to the email addresses of the leader of Congress, Joao BoscoMota Amaral.

Portuguese law allows for abortion to take place under certain conditions,but because of a number of court rulings against women who have undergone clandestine abortions without meeting the established conditions, somePortuguese members of the European Parliament have begun pressuring thecountry to legalize abortion.Left-wing parties are proposing abortion be permitted up to the tenth week of pregnancy. One such proposal was defeated by referendum in Portugal in 1998.